Ohio State baseball pitcher Scott Lewis stood on the mound ready for another win on April 11.

But his performance was no ordinary effort.

That day Lewis struck out an OSU-record 20 batters when he beat Iowa in a 4-1 win. Lewis’ effort matched the record set by former Buckeye Steve Arlin during a 15-inning performance in the 1965 College World Series.

A week later, Lewis earned Louisville Slugger National Pitcher of the Week honors. He repeated the honor the following week after striking out 16 batters in a home win against Indiana on April 18.

The 36 total strikeouts in those two games is the best two-game total in NCAA Division I baseball history.

The sophomore right-hander has been playing baseball for 13 years, beginning in Little League continuing throughout high school. He has been pitching for about 10 years, beginning with the early years of Little League.

“I love the game, and I love playing baseball. I chose to stick with baseball because I thought I was pretty good at it,” Lewis said.

During his senior year at Washington Court House High School, he played in the East-West and All-Ohio all-star games. But one of Lewis’ biggest accomplishments came in the a high school state championship game.

“Playing center field at the state championships was one of my favorite baseball memories,” the lefty said.

OSU manager Bob Todd and his coaching staff had been recruiting Lewis since his sophomore year in high school.

“We knew exactly what we were in for. We had been after him since his sophomore year, and we spent a lot of time recruiting him,” said Todd, who has been coaching OSU for 16 years.

According to Lewis, his decision to attend OSU was fairly easy.

“I chose Ohio State because of the great opportunities, great facilities, nice stadium and the big school,” he said.

During his freshman year in 2002, Lewis earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year awards. He was also a pre-season All-American pick and was a first-team conference selection. He was also named to the all-tournament teams at the Big Ten Tournament and the South Bend Regional.

In his first year, Lewis ended the season with a team-best 91 strikeouts in 92 innings and a team-best ERA of 2.84. He won eight of the ten games he pitched.

“He amazed us his freshman year, and just continues to get better. He is a very humble player,” OSU sophomore catcher Brian Panke said. “He plays for the team, not for himself, and that is one thing that makes him such a great pitcher.”

So far this season, Lewis has far exceeded his strikeouts from last season, striking out 123 batters in 80 innings. This is the third-highest season total in school history.

He is one of the 12 semifinalists for the 2003 Rotary Smith Award, given annually to the NCAA Division I college baseball player of the year. After starting the year 9-0, Lewis suffered his first loss of the season over the weekend against Minnesota. Lewis left the game after just three 1-3 innings with elbow pain, but the results of yesterday’s MRI have not been released. Lewis’ 1.61 ERA is third in the nation, and his nine wins are tied for 16th most in the nation.

“I don’t worry about my statistics, and I don’t care about breaking records, when I pitch, I pitch to win,” Lewis said.

Todd points out that Lewis’ presence alone helps the Buckeyes step up their game.

“When he steps onto the mound, the team plays with more confidence because they know he is ready to win. He is a very strong competitor,” Todd said.

Lewis practices four to five times a week in season, pitching every Friday game. During the fall, the team practices every day for three hours, and two hours daily in the winter. Lewis maintains strength lifting two times a week in the fall, three times a week in the winter and on the days he pitches during the season.

“My favorite thing about pitching is having control. I have the control to strike out batters and help the team leave with a win,” Lewis said.

But while Lewis may not have the towering physique of a power pitcher, Todd says the sophomore possesses all the tools to be a top-notch pitcher.

“His mechanics are sound, and he is very consistent. When he starts pitching he is throwing 88-90 mph, and steps off the mound still pitching 88-90 mph,” Todd said.

While Lewis does not have to worry about his fastball, he has been struggling with his change-up. According to Lewis, that is the hardest thing about pitching – throwing a consistent changeup. He knows that he will need to gain more confidence in his off-speed pitches to make it to the next level.

“I know he’s working hard on the change-up pitch, but he will get it. He is a very hard worker, and very consistent. Soon that pitch will be as easy as the rest of them are for him,” fellow OSU pitcher Chris Hanners said.

Lewis, a sociology major, is hoping to play professionally.

“I would love to play professional baseball, and play for the Atlanta Braves, but I definitely need to work on my change-up and keep increasing my accuracy and speed,” Lewis said.

Lewis hopes to continue playing for OSU until he graduates.

“He has done everything we have asked him to do. He is a strong competitor, and very consistent,” Todd said.